Role of dendritic cells and Th2 lymphocytes in asthma: lessons from eosinophilic airway inflammation in the mouse

Asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways characterized by variable airway narrowing, mucus hypersecretion, and infiltration of the airway wall with eosinophils. It is now believed that asthma is controlled by Th2 lymphocytes producing cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13. Animal models of eosinophilic airway inflammation and airway hyperreactivity have been developed to study the contribution of cells or mediators in the pathogenesis of asthma. In this review, we discuss the role of antigen presenting cells, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells, and mast cells in the induction and maintenance of eosinophilic airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and airway hyperreactivity.     

Stem cells in the development and differentiation of the human adrenal glands

There are no studies on stem cells (SCs) and development and differentiation (DD) of the human adrenal glands. The SCs in DD of the adrenal glands were herein investigated histochemically and immunohistochemically in 18 human embryonic adrenal glands at gestational week (GW) 7–40. At 7 GW, the adrenal glands were present, and at 7 GW, numerous embryonic SCs (ESCs) are seen to create the adrenal cortex. The ESCs were composed exclusively of small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei without nucleoli. The ESCs were positive for neural cell adhesion molecule, KIT, neuron‐specific enolase, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐α, synaptophysin, and MET. They were negative for other SC antigens, including chromogranin, ErbB2, and bcl‐2. They were also negative for lineage antigens, including cytokeratin (CK)7, CK8, CK18, and CK19, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19‐9, epithelial membrane antigen, HepPar1, mucin core apoprotein (MUC)1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6, and cluster differentiation (CD)3, CD45, CD20, CD34, and CD31. The Ki‐67 labeling index (LI) was high (Ki‐67 LI = around 20%). α‐Fetoprotein was positive in the ESCs and adrenal cells. The ESC was first seen in the periphery of the adrenal cortex at 7–10 GW. The ESC migrates into the inner part of the adrenal cortex. Huge islands of ESC were present near the adrenal, and they appeared to provide the ESC of the adrenal. At 16 GW, adrenal medulla appeared, and the adrenal ESCs were present in the periphery or the cortex, in the cortical parenchyma, corticomedullary junctions, and in the medulla. The adrenal essential architecture was established around 20 GW; however, there were still ESCs. At term, there are a few ESCs. These data suggest that the adrenal glands were created by ESCs. Microsc. Res. Tech., 78:59–64, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The distribution of T lymphocytes,B lymphocytes,and dendritic‐like cells of the anal tonsil in the laboratory shrew,Suncus murinus

We investigated the distribution of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and S‐100 protein‐immunoreactive dendritic‐like in the anal tonsil of the laboratory shrew, Suncus murinus. In adult animals, T lymphocytes were located mainly at the periphery of the anal tonsil, especially around small blood vessels. B lymphocytes were located in the central and subepithelial region of the anal tonsil, which includes primary lymphoid follicles, and in which there are small numbers of scattered T lymphocytes. B and T lymphocytes were distributed over 72.7 and 27.3% of the tonsillar area, respectively. However, their areas of distribution were not clearly distinguished. The areas containing B lymphocytes were enriched in S‐100 protein antibody‐immunoreactive cells, which exhibited a dendritic shape. These S‐100‐positive cells appeared to be identical to the follicular dendritic cells (FDC) seen in the follicles of lymphoid organs. These results suggest that the anal tonsils constitute one of the gut‐associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), and that a function of the anal tonsil includes the capture of intruding antigens that would generate protective antibody responses. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Expression and prognosis analyses of Dectin-1 cluster genes in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and the association with immune checkpoint molecules

Reviews The Dectin-1 cluster comprises seven members: CLEC-12A, CLEC-12B, CLEC-1A, CLEC-7A, CLEC-2, CLEC-9A and OLR1. These members have been demonstrated to be involved in the tumorigenesis, progression, andmetastasis of several cancers. However, little is known about their roles in human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Theexpression patterns of the Dectin-1 cluster were analyzed via the ONCOMINE and GEPIA databases. We evaluatedthe prognostic value of the Dectin-1 cluster in patients with LUAD using the Kaplan-Meier plotter and GEPIA.Differential expression was validated with the EMBL-EBI database, and protein expression was analyzed with theHPA database. In addition, protein-protein interaction network, GO, and KEGG analyses were conducted. Finally, thecorrelations between CLEC-12A and immune molecules (immune inhibitors and MHC molecules) were investigatedvia TISIDB and GEPIA. The expression levels of Dectin-1 cluster genes were downregulated in LUAD tissuescompared to those in normal lung tissues. The expression levels of CLEC-12A, CLEC-12B, CLEC-2, and CLEC-9Acorrelated with tumor stage, and CLEC-12A and CLEC-12B were significantly associated with survival in patientswith LUAD. The seven genes mostly participated in immune regulation processes and were involved in autoimmunedisorders and hematological malignancies. Finally, correlation analyses revealed CLEC-12A expression was associatedwith most immune inhibitors and MHCs. CLEC-12A was positively related to PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA4, TIM3,and LAG3. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CLEC-12A and CLEC-12B can be used as prognostic biomarkersin LUAD. CLEC-12A expression was associated with immune checkpoint molecules, and CLEC-12A may be apotential assistant target to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors immunotherapy.     

Video-rate confocal reflection microscopy of neoplastic cells: Rate of intracellular movement and peripheral motility characteristic of neoplastic cell line (RSK4) with high degree of growth independence in vitro

Video-rate laser confocal interference reflection microscopy was used to demonstrate rapid motion of intracellular organelles and features at the cell periphery in a fully transformed neoplastic cell line, RSK4, and in four other neoplastic cell populations. In the RSK4 cells, vibrational and trafficking movements of intracellular particles at a rate greater than 25 Hz and ranging down to 5 Hz were recorded. Rapidly moving processes changed to ruffles, then microspikes, and previously undetectable ephemeral intercellular contacts were seen. Dynamic cyclical changes were revealed in the sizes of the podosomal close contacts of the transformed cells. The visibility of such features and the temporal and spatial resolution are improved over earlier methods. The fact that fast cellular and intracellular movements can be detected with this microscopic technique offers new possibilities in attempting to recognise differences between unimpaired living cells, and it may prove useful in the identification of malignant cells.     

Proteome-wide screening for the analysis of protein targeting of <i>Chlamydia pneumoniae</i> in endoplasmic reticulum of host cells and their possible implication in lung cancer development

Available reports have confirmed a link between bacterial infection and the progression of different types of cancers, including colon, lungs, and prostate cancer. Here we report the Chlamydia pneumonia proteins targeting in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) using in-silico approaches and their possible role in lung cancer etiology. We predicted 48 proteins that target human ER, which may be associated with protein folding and protein-protein interactions during infection. The results showed C. pneumoniae proteins targeting human ER and their implications in lung cancer growth. These targeted proteins may be involved in competitive interactions between host and bacterial proteins, which may change the usual pathway functions and trigger the development of lung cancer. Moreover, C. pneumoniae unfolded protein accumulation in the human ER possibly induces ER stress, consequently activating the unfolded protein response (UPR), and providing a favorable microenvironment for cancer growth. The current study showed the C. pneumoniae protein targeting in ER of host cell and their implication in lung cancer growth. These results may help researchers better manage lung cancer and establish a molecular mechanism for C. pneumoniae lung cancer association.